How To Build A Professional Goose Hunting Spread

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The key to any successful goose hunting expedition is a proper goose decoy spread, or arrangement of plastic goose decoys set out to attract real geese to the area where you plan to hunt for them. Geese are more intelligent than most birds, and they continue to learn from their experiences as they age, which means that older geese that have a higher probability of having experienced hunting decoys in the past will be more likely to notice something amiss with the fake birds. Since older geese usually lead the flock, groups of geese are good at staying away from all but the most realistic goose decoy spreads, so it is important to use the most realistic decoys that you can.

The first and most important consideration you need to make when you are setting up your goose decoy spread is how realistic each decoy is. The most realistic decoys are plastic, and higher quality sets of decoys are more intricately detailed. Each decoy goose should be standing or sitting in a slightly different position. Some newer models are being designed with small motors to add movement, making the decoys even more convincing. Floating decoys are either made with a compartment that fills with water in the bottom, or with built-in weights on the bottom. This makes them more stable in the water and keeps them from swaying in the wind more than a real bird would. Floating decoys are also being made to vibrate, so they create ripples that real geese perceive as more convincing.

When setting up a goose decoy spread, you also have to pay attention to where and in which arrangement the decoys should be. The general location of your spread should obviously be a place, usually a field or pond, where flocks of geese frequently congregate. The best fields for goose hunting will also have some type of food for the geese, such as grass, hay, corn, barley, or beans. Geese don't like to land on water with too much wind, so the best ponds and lakes on which to deploy a goose decoy spread will be surrounded by hills, cattails, tall grass, bushes, or trees. The decoys should be placed in the middle of the field or pond, or in the most visible location. Where exactly each decoy is relative to the others does not matter much, so long as they are placed a little distance apart and the arrangement looks natural. Also, make sure to set up the decoy spread in an area where you can clearly see a wide area around the spread from a convenient, nearby hiding spot, because geese tend to land a little distance away from the decoy spread.

Some of the more specific arrangements of goose decoys involve different groupings and patterns. It is advisable to set up small groups of decoys separated by larger spaces to mimic the natural family groupings of real geese. These groups are sometimes further arranged into X or V formations. Remember more is generally better, so the next time you are looking for those canadian goose decoys for sale take note.